Expert continues work to develop hybrid rice

Weiki Li makes a test cross in the greenhouse in his work to develop hybrid rice. Li and LSU AgCenter rice breeder Dr. Xueyan Sha expect to make 500 test crosses in their work during 2011.

A visiting Chinese scientist continued his work in 2010 to develop hybrid rice adapted for Louisiana. And hybrid rice expert Weike Li said the yield of one hybrid exceeded U.S. conventional rice by several hundred pounds.

"Both parents of this line are from Chinese germplasm," Li said. "Next year, we can go into more seed production."

Sha said when the hybrid project started in 2009 hand transplanting was required to start test plots after a wait of several months to get the Chinese seed out of quarantine when it was brought into the United States. For 2010, the plots were drill-seeded at an optimum planting time, he said.

Li said the program met its objective in 2010 of obtaining enough seed. "This will ensure our future research," he said, with Sha adding similar comments about the future.

"Next year, we can work on a larger scale because we will have more seed available," Sha said.

Checkoff funds for this project in 2010: $80,000

(This article was published in the 2012 Louisiana Rice Research Board Annual Report.)